Down-regulation of exosomal miR-106b-5p derived from cholesteatoma perimatrix fibroblasts promotes angiogenesis in endothelial cells by overexpression of Angiopoietin 2.

Human cholesteatoma perimatrix fibroblasts (hCPFs) can stimulate the endothelial cells of nearby microvessels to proliferate and migrate in a paracrine manner. Exosomes, secreted from various cell types, are one of the most important paracrine factors and play critical roles in intercellular communication. However, whether exosomes derived from human cholesteatoma perimatrix fibroblasts (hCPFs-Exo) can promote angiogenesis has not been reported. In this study, we isolated exosomes secreted by hCPFs and observed that hCPFs-Exo was able to promote migration and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Advanced studies revealed hCPFs-Exo with low expression of miR-106b-5p was transferred into HUVECs, and decreased expression of miR-106b-5p could promote angiogenesis by targeting Angiopoietin 2 (Angpt2) via binding to its 3'-UTR. Furthermore, low levels of miR-106b-5p triggered overexpression of Angpt2, and significantly increased HUVEC migration and tube formation. Taken together, our results suggest that hCPFs-Exo transports low expressed exosomal miR-106b-5p to endothelial cells and promotes angiogenesis by overexpression of Angpt2.